Funny

copy on 1969-70 opc backs

January 25 2008, 11:02 PM

Nowadays the NHLPA wants every player to be portrayed like a patron saint with skills or the potential to have skills like Orr or Gretzky, but back in the day, the people who wrote copy for OPC told it like it was.

It seemed like everyone had some sort of flaw or weakness to poke fun of, which meant Pete Mahovlich and Dennis Hull were always in the shadow of their respective brothers, or a good two dozen NHL'ers were nicknamed "suitcase", and that Glen Sather was better known as "Tomato face".

1969-70 was an exceptionally good year for the playful berating and mocking of NHL players by OPC. My two favorites are Doug Favell and Serge Savard.

As if "As a youngster, nobody wanted him." was bad enough, a little Savard is pictured looking in vain for his name on the Stanley Cup. Classic.

And with Favell, not only do they mercilessly point out his less than stellar NHL debut, but the cartoonist wants everyone to know they were all stoppable.